Loader



J. S. PILCH Jwii 3, 11%

LOADER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 12, 195-3 9 NVENTOE.

United States Patent LOADER John S. Pilch, Ware, Mass. ApplicationJanuary 12, 1953, Serial No. 330,714

3 Claims. (Cl. 214-140) This invention relates to tractor mountedloaders and has particular reference to a new and improved push arm andbucket supporting structure for loaders.

This application is a continuation in part of my application filed March17, 1950, Serial No. 150,230, and now abandoned.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved loaderattachment for tractors.

Another object is to provide a loader attachment for tractors which maybe formed of separate parts thereby facilitating the manufacture,shipping and assembly of the device on the vehicle, which may be securedtogether relatively quickly and easily to provide a semi-rigid, strong,durable construction with enough movement to eliminate breakage anddistortion.

Another object is to provide a new and improved push arm constructionfor tractor mounted loaders, which construction is readily adaptable tovarious size loader buckets.

Another object is to provide a new and improved push arm constructionfor tractor mounted loaders which is relatively simple and inexpensivein construction and assembly, and adaptable to various sizes of loaderbuckets.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from thefollowing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings. It will be understood that changes may be made in the detailsof construction and arrangement of parts shown and described, as thepreferred forms have been given by way of illustration only.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a side view of a tractor mounted loader embodying theinvention;

Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an exploded view of the bucket push arm con struction;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary plan view of the push arm construction shown inFig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. modified form of the invention largerloader bucket.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, there is shown in Figs. 1and 3 a tractor including engine 10, tracks 11 and driver or operator'sseat 12. The tractor has the frame 13 on which are secured the supports14 and 15 on each side of the tractor and adjacent their upper ends isprovided the pivots 16 for each of the push arms 17. Extending abovepivot 16 is the extension 18 on which is pivotally mounted at 19 theloader bucket actuating cylinder 20.

The loader is hydraulically actuated through the hy draulic pump 21which is actuated by the tractor engine and which receives fluid throughhydraulic line 22 from tank 23 and supplies fluid under pressure throughby draulic line 24 to control valve 25 which is controlled by theoperator by means of operating levers 26.

Control valve 25 is connected to bucket actuating cylin- 4, but showinga slightly adapted for use with a ice ders 20 through lines 27 and 28which are connected to opposite ends of cylinders 20, and valve 25 isconnected to push arm raising and lowering cylinders 29 which arepivotally connected at 30 to tractor frame 13 on each side of engine 10by means of hydraulic lines 31 and 32 which are connected to oppositeends of said cylinders 29.

Rams 33 are pivotally connected at 34 to pads on push arms 17 andpositioned directly therebeneath and said rams extend into cylinders 29and have double acting pistons adjacent their ends within said cylindersfor raising and lowering push arms 17 and thereby raising and loweringbucket 35 which is pivotally mounted upon the forward ends of push arms17, as hereinafter described. In Fig. 2 the rams 33 and cylinders 29 areshown between push arms 17 for the purpose of illustrating theirrelative positions only.

Rams 36 are pivotally connected at 37 to links 38 which are in turnpivotally connected at 39 to bucket 35 and said rams 36 extend intocylinders 20 and have double acting pistons adjacent their ends withinsaid cylinders 20. Each of links 38 is connected by a link 40 to its respective push arm 17, and said links 40 are pivotally connected at 41 toits link 38 and at 42 to :its push arm 17. This arrangement is providedfor rotating bucket 35 relative to push arms 17 for loading andunloading.

With the prior type tractor mounted loaders, it has been customary toform the push arm assembly comprising a pair of spaced push arms 17 andits connecting brackets in a unitary structure. This has requireddifferent push arms for different bucket sizes and has also provided arelatively bulky and unwieldy construction for handling and shipping. Inthe present construction, the push arms 17 are each formed as separateunits comprising the push arm proper to which is secured a bracket orthe like 17a which may be reinforced with a gusset or strut 17b as shownin Fig. 4 or, if desired, such reinforcement may be eliminated as shownin Fig. 5.

When the push arm construction is used in conjunction with narrow orcertain type buckets, the loader arms may be positioned with the members17a toward each other as shown in Fig. 4-, and the members may besecured together by clamping or bolting, if desired, for added rigidityand strength, and when the construction is to be used with wider orother type buckets it may be adapted, as shown in Fig. 5, by reversingthe position of the push arms 17 from left to right and vice versa withthe members 17a each being directed outwardly from its push arm 17. Thepivot rods 17c extend through aligned openings in the forward ends ofthe push arms 17 and the forwardly projecting portions of the members17a and also extend through openings in the supports 35a on bucket 35 toprovide a pivotable connection between bucket 35 and the forward ends ofthe push arms.

It will be seen from the foregoing that each of the push arms 17 and itsmember 17a are formed separately with or without the gusset or strut17b, as set forth above, which which will then form a relatively simpleelement which is not unwieldy and bulky for shipment, and when theloader attachment is assembled onto the tractor the push arm members maybe positioned in either of the positions shown in Fig. 4 or Fig. 5,depending upon the size or type of the loader bucket whereby a push armconstruction is provided for loaders which is composed of a plurality ofrelatively similar members which are capable of being easily and quicklyattached to the tractor in the manner desired.

With the pad 43 on each of push arms 17 having the pivots 34, the ram 33may be easily and quickly connected to either of the pivots 34 dependingupon the particular push arm to which the particular ram is to beconnected.

It will be seen from the foregoing that I have provided a new andimproved push arm construction for tractor mounted loaders capable ofobtaining all of the objects and advantages of the invention.

I claim:

1. A convertible narrow or wide bucket loader comprising a tractor, asupport mounted on each side of said tractor, a pivot means on eachsupport, a pair of push arms for mounting selectively on either support,each push arm comprising a straight primary push member carrying a pivotmeans at one end for selective engagement with said pivot means mountedon said supports, an aperture at the opposite end 0t said primary pushmember to receive a pivot rod of a loader bucket, an L-shaped bracketmounted on said primary push member adjacent said opposite end andextending horizontally from said primary push member when mounted on oneof said supports, the L-shaped bracket on one of said primary pushmembers extending tothe right and on the other said primary push memberextending to the left, said L- shaped bracket being provided with anaperture aligned with the aperture in the end of said primary pushmember, and a pivotal connection arranged on said push member forconnection of hydraulic means for operation of said push arm whereby thepush arms may be selectively mounted on said supports and connected tosaid hydraulic means with the said L-shaped brackets extending outwardlyof said tractor from said primary push members or inwardly from saidpush members to engage a wide or narrow loading bucket.

2. The loader of claim 1 in which a single pivot rod is provided forengagement with the loader bucket and said aperture in the push membersand L-shaped brackets.

3. The loader of claim 1 in which said L-shaped brackets when extendinginwardly of the primary push members abut each other.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,326,197 Blecha Aug. 10, 1943 2,511,439 Lacey June 13, 1950 2,535,727Dingley Dec. 26, 1950 2,645,369 Allan July 14, 1953 2,679,120 WooldridgeMay 25, 1954 2,665,022 Dunham Jan. 5, 1954

